Ministry of Defence

Aircraft Carriers: Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers have sufficient network bandwidth capabilities to make full use of the situational awareness and tactics which the F-35 can offer the Royal Navy; and what plans they have to enhance that use.

Earl Howe: The current network bandwidth installed on the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers is sufficient to carry out the endorsed scope of carrier strike operations. As with all programmes, requirements and opportunities are kept under constant review and amended where necessary.

Aircraft Carriers: Unmanned Air Vehicles

Lord Campbell of Pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what priority they attach to acquiring and deploying unmanned carrier-launched surveillance and strike aircraft.

Earl Howe: The Queen Elizabeth Class carriers will have an extensive flight deck with hangar and engineering support facilities, which can be utilised to operate and sustain autonomous systems. The Royal Navy recognises that such systems offer a unique opportunity to maintain its operational advantage and it continues to explore how they could augment its capabilities in the future.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

North Korea: Sanctions

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that funds, financial assets or economic resources are not being made available by UK nationals, UK-owned businesses, including tour companies, or other entities within UK territory, to sanctioned North Korean entities, or to that country's nuclear and ballistic missiles programme.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: UN sanctions measures on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) include the requirement of all member states to freeze funds, other financial assets and economic resources on their territories, which are owned or controlled by individuals and entities designated by the UN Sanctions Committee or Security Council as being engaged in or supporting DPRK’s nuclear or ballistic missile programmes. The EU has legislated to give effect to UN sanctions. In the case of the DPRK it has gone beyond them by designating additional individuals and entities at the EU level. It is a criminal offence within the UK to make available funds or economic resources to a listed individual or entity under UN or EU DPRK sanctions measures.

North Korea: Diplomatic Relations

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what meetings have been held between the new UK Ambassador to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and that country's government, and what access the UK non-resident defence attaché to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has had within that country since their appointment.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: On 24 December 2015 our Ambassador in Pyongyang met Kim Yong Nam, the President of the Supreme People Assembly, to present his credentials. Since then our Ambassador has called on senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other government departments. The non-resident Defence Attaché meets officials from the Korean People’s Army during his visits to Pyongyang and most recently attended events held in October 2015 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Workers Party of Korea.

UN Commission on the Status of Women

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to hold an event on their Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative at the sixth session of the Commission on the Status of Women in March.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: At the current time, four UK Ministers (from the Department for International Development, the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Education) are planning to attend the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and promote UK objectives. The UK is not planning to host a specific event on the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) during the CSW. Ministers will be actively participating in the Review Theme and a number of side events focussed on tackling all forms of violence against women and girls, including sexual violence. As the Prime Minister's Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, I am actively exploring future opportunities to engage with UN partners in 2016 to promote PSVI objectives on tackling stigma, supporting survivors and increasing accountability.

Israel: Palestinians

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel following its decision to start building the annexation wall in the Cremisan Valley, and in particular regarding building works on the privately owned land of Beir Onah in Beit Jala.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have raised the issue of the separation barrier though Cremisan Valley with the Israeli authorities repeatedly, most recently on 1 September 2015.Our Deputy Consul General in Jerusalem visited the Al Walajah and Khirbet Najjar areas of Beit Jala on 9 February 2016, where he was given an update on the impact of the barrier on residents.

Israel: Palestinians

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the decision by the High Court of Israel on 1 February to dismiss the latest petitions submitted by the Salesian Sisters Convent against the building of the annexation wall in the Cremisan Valley.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK’s position on the Separation Barrier is clear: where it has been constructed beyond the 1967 border, such as in the case of the Cremisan Valley, it is illegal under international law.

Islamic State: Occupied Territories

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the presence of Daesh in Gaza and the West Bank.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government's assessment is that there are groups and individuals in the West Bank and (primarily) in Gaza who sympathise with or self-identify as Daesh but are not formally affiliated with them. We remain concerned about a possible Daesh presence and continue to monitor the situation closely.

Occupied Territories

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government in the light of the Procurement Policy Note:Ensuring compliance with wider international obligations when letting public contracts of 17 February stating that boycotts in public procurement are inappropriate unless formal legal sanctions, embargoes and restrictions have been put in place by the UK Government, what assessment they have made of the connection between that advice and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office position that Israeli settlements are illegal and support for them is not encouraged.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government’s position on the illegality of settlements remains unchanged. Settlements are illegal under international law, constitute an obstacle to peace and take us further away from a two-state solution.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel on the aerial spraying of herbicides on 187 hectares of crops within the borders of Gaza in late December 2015.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: While we have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities, we remain deeply concerned by the situation in Gaza.

Israel: Riot Control Weapons

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel on the use of untested and prohibited forms of tear gas canisters.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities.

Nuclear Disarmament

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to attend the UN Open Ended Working Group on nuclear disarmament which takes place from 22 to 26 February.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK is not attending the Open Ended Working Group (OEWG) on nuclear disarmament in Geneva. The UK, along with the four other Non-Proliferation Treaty Nuclear Weapons States, voted against the resolution establishing the OEWG at the UN General Assembly First Committee. The Government believes that productive results can only be ensured through a consensus-based approach that takes into account the wider global security environment.

Nuclear Disarmament

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are their priorities for the UN Open Ended Working Group on nuclear disarmament, taking place from 22 to 26 February, and what expertise the UK can offer on issues of non-proliferation.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK is not attending the Open Ended Working Group (OEWG) on nuclear disarmament in Geneva. The UK, along with the four other Non-Proliferation Treaty Nuclear Weapons States, voted against the resolution establishing the OEWG at the UN General Assembly First Committee. The Government works with international partners and various organisations to ensure that UK experience and expertise helps to tackle the threat of weapons proliferation but believes that productive results can only be ensured through a consensus-based approach that takes into account the wider global security environment.

Libya: Islamic State

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how many Daesh fighters have moved from Iraq and Syria to Libya; and what implications this has had on UK defence and security policies.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are aware that Daesh has called for Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTF) to travel to Libya and that there is a significant FTF contingent among the Daesh forces there, including individuals from Syria and Iraq.We are monitoring the situation closely and working closely with international partners to develop a comprehensive approach to defeat Daesh in Libya. This will be a priority for our discussions with the new Libyan government.

UN Commission on the Status of Women

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will promote their Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative at the Commission on the Status of Women meeting in March.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: At the current time, four UK Ministers (from the Department for International Development, the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Education) are planning to attend the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and promote UK objectives, including the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI). Tackling violence against women and girls is a key UK objective. We will be actively participating in the Review Theme and a significant number of side events focused on tackling all forms of violence against women and girls including sexual violence. We will use the opportunity of these different discussions to promote PSVI.

Mohammed al-Qeeq

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are making representations to the government of Israel about the case of Mohammed Al-Qeeq; and in particular what representations they have made in the light of the reports of force-feeding and drips being inserted against his will.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We understand that Mr Al Qeeq has now ended his hunger strike. We have been following the case closely and officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have spoken to Amnesty International about Mr Al Qeeq. Our Consulate General in Jerusalem has received regular updates on the condition of Mr Al Qeeq from Palestinian officials and organisations. We remain concerned about Israel’s extensive use of administrative detention. Administrative detention should, according to international law, be used only when security makes it absolutely necessary rather than as routine practice, and as a preventative rather than a punitive measure. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have raised the matter of Mr Al Qeeq’s condition with Israeli authorities.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Business

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to increase business confidence, in the light of uncertainty regarding the global economy and the EU referendum.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: At the February European Council the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. As part of these negotiations, we secured a firm commitment to drive an ambitious agenda of economic reform within the EU to help unleash the full potential of the Single Market and create growth and jobs. The Government's view is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

Overseas Students: EU Nationals

Baroness Wolf of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many EU-domiciled students received Student Loan Company support in each of the last three years, broken down by individual country of domicile.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park: Statistics showing the number of EU domiciled students receiving student support for Higher Education courses are published annually by the Student Loans Company (SLC) in the Statistical First Release ‘Student Support for Higher Education in England’.http://www.slc.co.uk/official-statistics/financial-support-awarded/england-higher-education.aspxThe attached table shows the number of EU-domiciled tuition fee loan borrowers studying full-time by EU country of nationality. Data on the specific country of domicile of EU-domiciled loan borrowers is not readily available.Number (1) of EU-domiciled (2) students paid Tuition Fee Loan for Academic Years 2012/13 to 2014/15, split by nationality (3) (4)  (as of 31/08 at the end of each academic year)   Country2012/132013/142014/15 Austria230210230 Belgium210210250 Bulgaria3,1203,4403,290 CroatiaN/A (3)2080 Cyprus5,7905,8005,610 Czech Republic250300390 Denmark250250280 Estonia580620610 Finland440490540 France1,0701,1501,420 Germany1,7801,6101,580 Greece2,0002,2502,430 Hungary380530730 Ireland1,0301,0001,000 Italy1,3101,7602,440 Latvia1,1701,040890 Lithuania2,9702,8802,680 Luxembourg*2030 Malta706060 Netherlands260290320 Poland1,6301,7602,120 Portugal5307101,010 Romania4,0604,2904,500 Slovakia490470550 Slovenia608090 Spain8501,0901,510 Sweden410470550 EU Resident - UK National790790770 EU Resident - Nationality Non-EU520570660 EU Resident - Nationality Unknown1,150860530 Grand Total 33,410  35,010  37,150   Source: Student Loans Company  Notes: (1) Numbers are rounded to the nearest multiple of 10. Values smaller than 15 are denoted with an asterisk *  (2) Applicants are 'EU domiciled' if they were ordinarily resident in the EU, EU overseas territories, elsewhere in the EEA or Switzerland for the three years immediately before the first day of the first academic year of their course. (3) Nationality is based on information collected during the application process for student support. If nationality was not available, country of birth was used, if available (4) Figures are different from the figures published in 'Student Support for Higher Education in England' as borrowers may have had a change in status since publication (5) Croatia joined the European Union in 2013

EU Grants and Loans: Cornwall

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much funding has been allocated to Cornwall from each of the EU programmes in the last ten years.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: 2007-13 (last funding round) For the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for 2007-13, information can be found on GOV.UK under ‘2007 to 2013 ERDF programmes and resources’ at ‘ERDF Cornwall Isles of Scilly convergence operational programme’ on page 133. For the European Social Fund (ESF) for 2007-13, information can be found on GOV.UK under ‘ESF operational programme for England and Gibraltar: 2007 to 2013’ at ‘England & Gibraltar European Social Fund convergence, competitiveness and employment programme 2007-13’ at the table on pages 190 to 191. The line item for ‘Convergence’ for each year is for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The European Commission’s figures for the Seventh Framework Programme 2007-2013 (last updated on 11 November 2015) show that the total value of grants awarded to organisations in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly was €7,369,261 (funding is not pre-allocated to regions). Information on all EU-funded research projects since 1990 can be found at the following link: http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/home_en.html. 2014-20 (current funding round) For the ERDF for 2014-20, information can be found on GOV.UK under ‘2014 to 2020 European Regional Development Fund Operational Programme’ at ‘European Regional Development Fund Operational Programme 2014-20’ at the table on page 195. The line item for ‘Less developed’ for each year is for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. For the ESF for 2014-20, information can be found on GOV.UK under ‘European Social Fund Operational Programme: 2014 to 2020’ at the table on page 123. The line item for ‘Less developed’ for each year is for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The Commission’s figures for the 2014-2020 Framework Programme, Horizon 2020, last updated on 29 October 2015, show that the total value of grants awarded to organisations in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly was €1,130,444.

Iron and Steel: North of England

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what role they envisage for British-produced and British-manufactured steel in the Northern Powerhouse.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The UK steel industry has a key role in generating future economic growth across the country, including the Northern Powerhouse region. The steel sector is a critical element of the supply chain for high technology industries like aerospace, automotive and construction. These all require high value, continually improving steel products in order to remain competitive. The Government wants to drive up the number of public procurement contracts won by UK steel manufacturers, and have updated procurement rules accordingly. There are more major projects in the pipeline offering opportunities, for example HS2 and Network Rail’s £38bn five-year investment and replacement programme. We have mapped rough estimates of steel that could be needed for major projects including the above: we have shared this with industry and will continue updating them. Steps have also been agreed with industry on how to make better use of the pipelines as they are updated on a six monthly basis.

Migrant Workers: Universities

Lord Smith of Finsbury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the cost to UK universities of implementing the Immigration Skills Charge for non-EU workers recruited through the Tier 2 Visa Route, as proposed in Clause 55 of the Immigration Bill, and of the charges recommended by the Migration Advisory Committee.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park: The Government has not estimated the cost to UK universities of implementing the Immigration Skills Charge. The cost will depend on the rate set and the Government is considering carefully the Migration Advisory Committee’s recommendations on rate and scope. Evidence about the likely impact of different rates on different types of organisation, including universities, will be taken into account in our considerations.

Engineering: Migrant Workers

Baroness Burt of Solihull: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many employees in the UK engineering sector are from other EU member states, and what is their total contribution to (1) UK Gross Domestic Product, and (2) UK Gross Value Added.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: It is not possible to answer the question as there is no agreed statistical definition of what is meant by the term “engineering sector”.

Engineering: Migrant Workers

Baroness Burt of Solihull: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many employees in the UK engineering sector are from other countries outside the EU, and what is their total contribution to (1) UK Gross Domestic Product, and (2) UK Gross Value Added.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: It is not possible to answer the question as there is no agreed statistical definition of what is meant by the term “engineering sector”.

Department for International Development

Developing Countries: Female Genital Mutilation

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the written answer by Baroness Verma on 18 February (HL5913), which 17 countries their Flagship female genital mutilation (FGM) programme supports, how much aid each of those countries receives annually from the UK, and how much aid from the UK is spent annually on programmes to end female genital mutilation in those countries.

Baroness Verma: DFID’s regional FGM programme is providing up to £35 million in funding to end FGM in 17 high prevalence countries: Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Mauritania, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda and Yemen.This funding is apportioned over a five year period from 2013-2018 and the breakdown by country is not readily available. Six of these countries (Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and Uganda) have DFID country programmes. Information on the budget allocated to each of these countries is published on our Development Tracker online.In Sudan, DFID’s regional programme to end FGM is complemented by a country programme providing £12m over five years to support the scale up of initiatives to end FGM across the country.

Middle East: Education

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when and where they will establish application procedures for the new funds they are providing to assist the education of the children of refugees and displaced people from Iraq and Syria.

Baroness Verma: At the Supporting Syria and the Region conference, the UK committed to more than double our total pledge to the Syria crisis to over £2.3 billion. Within this allocation, we committed to double education funding for Lebanon to £40 million per year and increase funding in Jordan to £20 million a year to support the conference goal of getting all refugee children from Syria and vulnerable children in host communities in quality education by the end of the 2016/17 school year. We also committed to increasing access to learning for the 2.1 million children out of school in Syria itself.Implementation plans to deliver the Conference goals on education are currently being discussed with partner governments, UN agencies, NGOs and donors. New UK funding will be aligned with these plans, and will be implemented through partners who can deliver increases in access to quality education, quickly, efficiently and at scale. Implementing partners will be identified selected in accordance with normal DFID procedures.

Iraq: Refugees

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the conditions facing Iraqi refugees in Jordan.

Baroness Verma: The situation for many refugees in Jordan is challenging, irrespective of nationality. Services are provided by the international community and the Government of Jordan based on a system of prioritisation of the most vulnerable and Iraqi refugees are included in this system. Like all refugees, Iraqis are registered by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and access assistance from UN agencies, international NGOs and national NGOs. Partners assess vulnerability in Jordan at individual, community and household levels. These vulnerability assessments take into account positive coping strategies and support networks, which are understood to be better established among the Iraqi community, including through religious institutions such as mosques and churches.

Iraq: Refugees

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of the Department for International Development’s humanitarian aid package for Jordan is intended to meet the needs of Iraqi refugees in Jordan.

Baroness Verma: The UK’s humanitarian aid package for Jordan is not earmarked to a particular group of refugees, in line with international humanitarian principles of impartiality. Instead, it targets those most vulnerable and in urgent need, irrespective of nationality. In particular, DFID provides direct support to UNHCR’s protection mandate which serves all registered refugees and asylum seekers in Jordan, including the 53,756 registered Iraqis. DFID’s partners in Jordan subscribe to the same principles and operate an open door policy, providing health, protection services and basic needs support to all refugees, whether they be Syrian, Iraqi, Yemeni or from elsewhere.DFID also support projects aimed at improving overall public services used by all people living in Jordan, such as water supply, sanitation services and solid waste management. As well as the fact that Iraqi refugees have been in Jordan longer and are therefore better established, it is important to note that the number being met with humanitarian services is lower due to the fact that there are nearly 12 registered Syrian refugees to every one registered Iraqi refugee.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for International Development, Mr Desmond Swayne on 10 February (HC25684) on recent demolitions by the Israeli authorities of properties funded by the EU and international donors, what action they intend to take in response.

Baroness Verma: We have discussed the recent demolitions in South Hebron with our EU counterparts. The EU is proposing to reassess their position on seeking compensation from the Israeli Government in the context of the ongoing structured dialogue. The UK government remains extremely concerned by reports that there have been nearly 300 demolitions since the start of 2016, representing more than a trebling of demolitions compared to the monthly average in 2015. The Embassy in Tel Aviv have recently raised demolitions with the Israeli authorities and will continue to raise this at the political level.

Overseas Aid

Lord Donoughue: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Earl of Courtown on 26 January (HL4975), whether there has been an occasion on which they have not been satisfied with the annual performance report of a charity receiving Programme Partnership Arrangement funding; whether financial penalties were imposed as a result; and whether they publish criteria about when such penalties will be imposed.

Baroness Verma: All Programme Partnerships Arrangement are reviewed on an annual basis, providing an assessment of performance, ongoing relevance, value for money and any remedial action required. We have not to date imposed financial penalties on any Programme Partnership Arrangement recipient. All Annual Reviews are published on DFID’s Development Tracker which is available online.

Department for Education

Child Rearing

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they are giving to providing support for the estimated 2.5 million children being brought up by parents who are heavy alcohol drinkers.

Lord Nash: We are clear that all children at risk of abuse or neglect – including those children who may be a risk because of their parent’s alcoholism – must be identified early, have timely and proportionate assessments of their individual needs, and have the right services provided at the right time.That is why the Government has put in place a range of cross-Government programmes and funding to support children and families, including children of alcoholics. We have invested more than £8 billion to help councils put services in place to protect children at risk of abuse or neglect, including from alcoholic parents. We have encouraged councils to find new ways to tackle problems through our £100m children’s social care Innovation Programme. And we have expanded the Troubled Families programme launched in April 2015, which offers support on health issues to up to 400,000 families, including for alcohol and drug misuse.

Students: Travel

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 9 February (HL5629), what steps they are taking to increase the number of discounts available to post-16 students travelling to their nearest further education or sixth form college in (1) rural areas, and (2) urban areas.

Lord Nash: The statutory responsibility for financial support for transport to education and training for post-16 students, including discounts, rests with local authorities. It is therefore for local authorities, along with local transport providers and schools or colleges, to decide what discounts and concessions to provide. These decisions are best made locally in light of local needs, the resources available, and other local circumstances.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Broadband

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the average broadband speed in (1) North Yorkshire, and (2) London.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Data published by Ofcom shows that in 2011 the average broadband speed for London was 8.8 Mbit/s, with North Yorkshire averaging 6.6 Mbit/s and that by June 2015 commercial and BDUK programme roll-outs had led to an increase in the average speed to 32.6 Mbit/s for London and 22.5 Mbit/s for North Yorkshire. This data can be downloaded the attached sheet and here:http://maps.ofcom.org.uk/broadband/broadband-data-2011/



FIxed Local Authority 2015
(Excel SpreadSheet, 43.11 KB)

Public Service Broadcasting

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many responses they have received to their consultation on the repeal of section 73 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government received 39 responses to its consultation: “The balance of payments between television platforms and public service broadcasters". This included questions about possible repeal of s.73 of the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Bovine Tuberculosis: Somerset

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what impact the badger cull has had on the number of TB cases reported in Somerset.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The latest statistics for the whole county of Somerset indicate that the total annual cattle herd incidence of tuberculosis fell from 7.58% in 2012 to 6.96% in 2014. Statistics for the whole of 2015 will be published shortly. YearTotal new breakdownsBreakdowns with OTF status withdrawnTB tests in OTF herdsTotal annual herd incidence *201231121441037.58%201331820241067.74%201429019941676.96%* Total new breakdowns divided by TB tests in OTF herds The Animal and Plant Health Agency report of the incidence of tuberculosis in cattle in 2013-14 in the limited part of Somerset exposed to the first year of industry-led badger culling was published on 28 August 2015. The report is annexed to the Bovine TB Surveillance Report for England 2014, which can be found on the GOV.UK website by searching for ‘Bovine TB surveillance in England’.

Dairy Products: Origin Marking

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to introduce country of origin labels for dairy products in (1) the UK, and (2) across the EU; and if so, when.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government supports the industry voluntary agreement for labelling origin of food, which has resulted in clear and honest origin labelling in the vast majority of dairy products sold in UK shops. We have also been pushing for improved origin labelling for dairy products in Europe, including a proper consideration of mandatory origin labelling for lightly processed dairy products such as butter, cheese and cream. Many producers and retailers in the UK provide this information voluntarily, reflecting consumer demand and the acceptable cost of such schemes, but consumers can feel misled where this information is not available. New Implementing Acts on origin labelling of the main ingredients of food where these are different from the place of production of the food itself have recently been proposed by the Commission and the UK will engage with the Commission to ensure that these measures are effective.

Government Departments: Carbon Emissions

Lord Hunt of Chesterton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to establish targets to reduce energy use across the government estate to reduce carbon emissions over the next five years.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government has already reduced the greenhouse gas emissions from its estate and operations by 22% from 2009/10 to 2014/15 under the Greening Government Commitments. We are in the process of developing a new set of Greening Government Commitments for this Parliament.

Primates: Animal Welfare

Lord Dholakia: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the review of the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Privately Kept Non-Human Primates will commence, and what is the proposed timetable for that review.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The review of the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Privately Kept Non-Human Primates is expected to commence this year with a view to recommendations being made within a year.

School Milk

Baroness Parminter: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have (1) to develop a new strategy for the implementation of the European School Milk Scheme from 2017, and (2) to involve stakeholders in developing that strategy.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: If the European Parliament formally endorses the proposal for a revised EU School Milk Scheme in Plenary on 8 March 2016, it is likely to enter into force in spring 2016 and apply in schools from August 2017. We will use this period to consider the new requirements and consult with interested parties. Member States that wish to participate will be obliged to submit a multi-annual national strategy setting out their priorities for implementing the new Scheme. Detailed rules for the drawing up of national strategies will be adopted by the Commission in a delegated act which will be negotiated in the coming months.

Dairy Products: Exports

Baroness Byford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the total export figures for dairy products over the past five years, and to which countries those export initiatives were directed.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The following table shows total export figures of dairy products from the UK, for the past five years, according to HMRC trade statistics:  20112012201320142015Countryth' tonnes£' millionth' tonnes£' millionth' tonnes£' millionth' tonnes£' millionth' tonnes£' millionIrish Republic612385.8633387.3644459.9750488.4775400.4Netherlands92105.190105.976128.286143.0101121.9France90139.159106.255122.557133.055103.2Belgium74134.85689.44298.23874.33557.4Germany60112.84690.43485.53984.43662.9U.S.A.529.7637.2640.9746.2956.6Italy1436.91533.11541.21437.81327.0Algeria924.71226.6923.62057.759.9Spain1122.41321.61322.31629.11525.8Denmark1018.2814.7715.73131.61331.5China47.523.238.01423.51543.3Ivory Coast411.7617.2413.7310.8511.8UAE39.4512.6412.0514.6615.5Hong Kong16.4211.4212.6417.5415.9Sweden38.4411.6513.7515.0511.6Others55144.455139.862187.068195.788189.7Grand Total1,0491,197.41,0121,108.29811,285.11,1561,402.41,1801,184.4 Crown CopyrightSource: HM Revenue and CustomsData prepared by the Food & Trade Statistics team, Great British Food Unit, Defra2015 data are subject to amendmentsSome totals may not add up to the sum of their components due to rounding.

Home Office

Iraq: Refugees

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to include vulnerable Iraqi refugees in Jordan who are registered with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in their resettlement plans.

Lord Bates: The UK operates three resettlement routes, Gateway, Mandate and the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement (VPR) Scheme, working closely with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on each.There are no current plans to resettle Iraqis registered with UNHCR and currently seeking refuge in Jordan under any of our resettlement schemes. However, we plan to continue to resettle Iraqi refugees currently in Syria under the Gateway programme. The case load for the Gateway programme is reviewed annually in consultation with UNHCR.

Dogs: Smuggling

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what training is provided to staff in the UK Border Agency to help them deal with abuses of the Pet Travel Scheme by those involved in illegal puppy smuggling for commercial purposes.

Lord Bates: Core skills training provided to Border Force officers includes awareness training on controls on the movement of live animals into the UK. Specific guidance is also available to officers on the application of the Pet Travel Scheme. Border Force is also developing its targeting capability across all border related risks, including bio-security risks.Border Force is working closely with the Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra), the lead government department with responsibility for imports of live animals, to ensure the effective enforcement of legislation governing the import of animals.